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ECML Electrification Commissioning?

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steve2525

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Found these two photos clearing out my parents house, my father had a temporary job working in the Balfour Beatty Peterborough office. I am not a railway person but wondered if the Mentor carriage was used as part of the commissioning process?

The IT equipment looks dated now and it must of been a challenge keeping it working on a moving train.

Scan_20220403 (2).jpgScan_20220403 (3).jpg
 
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John Webb

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Interesting photographs. In the second photo much of the equipment, particularly on the right, is more likely to be 'signal processing' equipment than 'IT' in the sense that we accept 'IT' these days. It's basically 19inch Rack-mounted modules, each of which is connected to a particular sensor measuring something. Each module amplifies/modifies its sensor output to give a signal that is easy to record and interpret. I suspect the large reel recorder bottom right is 'logging' the data from these sensors rather than being part of a computer system.
The monitor screen is clearly a CCTV system watching the pantograph in contact with the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE).

There have several publications in recent years on the BR (and now NR) research and measurement trains; I'm sure 'Mentor' must feature somewhere in these books if you are looking for further information.
 
High Dyke

High Dyke

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There's every possibility it played some part. Found this YouTube clip from 1988. The train departs south from Grantham towards Peterborough.

 
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John Webb

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Ken H said:
Was it a conversion or new build? Why the yellow end?
Click to expand...
It was necessary for the pantograph on occasions to be at the front of the train, so the coach was fitted out to be a leading vehicle - see High Dyke's link.
High Dyke said:
A conversion from a BSK, built in 1955.

Click to expand...
The diagram on the above site confirms my suggestion that the rack equipment in the photo was associated with sensors/transducers. I note however that they were using an 'Ultraviolet recorder' for data collection. I've used these and I'm not surprised it was replaced with some form of magnetic recorder by the time of the photo - not really meant for use on a moving train; we had enough problems on a lab bench in a stationary building!
 
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